The personality of media Dima Sadiq has always caused controversy and her bold opinions have generated strong reactions from her opponents, causing her many problems. But what happened recently is more than what we have seen previously of controversy. Many described her as a provocative figure and during several years she was subjected to several wars. While during the revolution, she formed a phenomenon that the opinions were conflicting about her and the way she expressed . The attack on her reached a climax, with her phone being stolen while she was participating in a demonstration in the Ring District, in addition to accusing her of defection from the Shiite community and of being an agent , a traitor and infidel . Atonement campaigns, psychological wars, and pressures against Dima, which are met with more audacity, refusing to back down, whatever the results.
In the most recent chapter in the targeting of the Lebanese “Hezbollah” for the media, Dima Sadiq, the imam of the mosque in the city of Nabatiyeh, Mohamed Berjawi, who is close to the party, incited to kill her, justifying the theft of her phone and accusing her of “treason, agent and insolence.”
In his speech, the man tried to defend the theft of Sadiq’s phone and even justify the theft, considering that the claim that theft is prohibited to prohibit theft of the phone is “a kind of twisting the arm of the believer”, as he described Dima Sadiq as a traitor, a agent and a killer.
“I’m Dima Sadiq. I want to be immoral and commit immorality , betray, deal with the enemy, cause death and do bad actions, but you are as being a believer , you are forbidden to steal me or disgrace me, no matter how I am anomalous and morally perverted. This is the high degree of insolence … the Sharia says that the punishment for those who fight God and His Messenger and seek corruption on earth is to cut off their hands and feet or be exiled from the earth. With these phrases, Sheikh Mahmoud Al-Berjawi addressed, in his Friday sermon, to worshipers in the town of Nabatiyeh al-Fawqa.
Shocking words said in the Friday sermon are supposed to be a platform for spreading faith and guidance rather than promoting a culture of cutting off members of those who disagree. An abominable moment in which one of the sheikhs recovered the “ISIS” literature, employing it against opponent of the situation. It does not deserve to reach this moral slope from a turban that plays great roles in the social influence in our cultural system.
This discourse comes after the identity of the thief was revealed and Dima recorded a video tape in which she directed to a Hajji asking him whether the theft and the violation of privacy were permissible. She said that Hezbollah justified its participation in the Syrian war by refusing to detain women, so how does Hajj make a violation of a woman’s privacy permissible for himself?
Berjawi is not the only one demanding the killing of Dema, or cutting her body into parts . He is not the only one who accuses her of being an enemy agent. He is not the only one who accuses her of prostitution and immorality. He is one of the thousands who wake up every morning and their only mission is to insult Dima Sadiq and blame her for her existence. But Mr. Berjawi’s video drove the collective imagination to a horrific blood party, where the evil witch is cut off and the fire is lit . We mentioned the cinematic productions of the ISIS organization, although the added effects to the video were from soundtracks and an echo of primitive sound to the extent of backwardness compared to the products of the fearful organization. A frightening party that will not be approved by even those sitting in the Nabatieh Al-Fawqa Mosque. The Lebanese do not live in the caves of Osama bin Laden, but the language of some of them has returned there.
Up to set the punishment on her, Dima Sadiq is insulted around the clock. Not because she crossed red lines. Not that she was insulted politically. Not that she was repudiated from the Shiite community or of its supreme leader. Not that she underestimated the leader of the higher sect. Not that she once said that he is racist or sectarian. She said her opinion as it is, and because of her opinion, as a woman first, and as a southern apostate second, she was stoned and is still stoned.
What Dima Sadiq did to deserve all this? She has done nothing but expressed her opinion, which many of her peers share. But she seems to be the most annoying to them . So they fight their war against her alone, armed with the assumption that she is a woman and that she is weak. But she is not apparently weak. The proof is this hysteria about her phone, which the Hajji seized, the most powerful Hajji in the Lebanese Republic, as she called him.
Berjawi’s words were widely condemned by the Lebanese media on social media pages. The group “Media for Freedom” said that Sheikh Al-Berjawi’s words are dangerous words that carry death threats to Dima Sadiq. “Sheikh Berjawi’s words are well-known news and crime, which is a threat to civil peace, and any delay by the competent authorities in taking appropriate measures, will be a severe blow to the state and institutions. In this context, we hold the state responsible for protecting media Sadiq, whose life is considered to be threatened.
In a post on his Facebook page, Mr. Jaafar Fadlallah said: “The cleric, like any specialist, may be superficial in his approach, and he may lack wisdom in his positions, he may lack rationality in his words, and he may be rude in his style… more than that: He may be a deviate from his behavior, and he may be a hypocrite or an agent … Therefore, the evaluation of a cleric is an expression of his person inevitably , not his Islam or his Christianity, and his words represent him only . That’s all”.
In this context, the deputy. Sami Al-Jumail tweeted: “Instead of suppressing the sincere voices and arresting the peaceful youth who dream of a civilized country, protect our society from those who openly threaten to kill and cut off the body because of freedom of opinion? Are you talking about an independent judiciary? Show us”.
The robbery incident of the media Dima Sadiq, that occurred directly during the direct broadcast and documented by TV channels, which revealed the identity of the thief in full and the address of his residence and work, and no security agency contacted him to ask him about the fate of the phone, pointing out that Sadiq hinted in a later video of her that the phone is now in the hands of the Hezbollah security and liaison officer, Al-Hajj Wafik Safa, in a clear indication of who protects the perpetrators and prevents any legal measures against them.
Dima expresses her confusion and questions about the reasons for the attack on her, as she is not the only one who expresses her opinions boldly and defiantly. Rather, many male and female media workers do the same, but they do not face the same fate and do not face the challenges she faces.
In response to the words of Sheikh Al-Barjawi, Dima confirms that she is unable to express her opinion about this position and the speech that expresses itself and does not require any comment, but the responses to it are sufficient to reflect its truth and level. No sane person does not condemn such talk, not because it is directed against me, but for what it contains. Personally, I have no option just to forget it and it does not concern me. After being stolen, and when I traveled with my family, false accusations were fabricated against me and it was said that I have sought political asylum, and was accused of being an agent and other fabricated news. ”
Despite the challenges and a war of words that were waged and still waging against her , up to the permission of her blood shed , Dima insists on adhering to freedom of opinion, rejecting the means of oppression used against her . She says, “Whatever the circumstances, and whatever challenges I face, I am convinced of what I do and have complete freedom to express my views,” I realize that I am in a country where repression is increasing, but that does not deter me. ”
Arab Studies Unit
Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies